1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage reels for electrical wire. More specifically, the present invention is a portable self-contained light reel that holds electro-luminescent (EL) wire and houses a power supply for the wire.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable reels storing strings of lights are often used for decorative purposes during holidays for decorating both the interior and exterior of houses. They also serve a utilitarian purpose when used by law enforcement and other emergency action personnel for cordoning off or otherwise illuminating a specific area.
In the most basic embodiment of light reels known in the related art, a string of discrete, wire-mounted lights is wound around a storage reel, the reel being operative to unwind the string of lights from the reel to a desired length. An electric plug disposed on one end of the string is inserted into a source of electricity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,148, issued to K. R. Christensen in 1997, discloses a light string storage reel comprising at least one reel including a center section and first and second side sections, the center section having an essentially hollow interior for storage of the lights. U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,095, issued to M. J. Murfin in 2001, discloses a storage device for light strands, which includes a hollow housing having a rotatably mounted shaft. A hand crank is rotatably mounted to the sidewall of the housing and is attached to the shaft for selectively rotating the shaft to wind a light strand around the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,401, issued to P. S. O""Donnell in 1999, discloses a hand reel storage device for a holiday light string, having an elongated cord, a plurality of light sockets with light bulbs, a plug on a first end and an outlet on a second end.
Reels for storing and dispensing wire capable of conducting electricity are not limited to light strings. Canadian Patent No. 1,237,469, discloses a reel for electric fence wire in which the hub or support for the reel accommodates an electric fence energizer device which provides a high voltage impulse to the electric fence. The hub may also accommodate batteries for supplying power to the energizer device.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,279, issued to Doss et al. in 2002, discloses two juxtaposed reels which retract an output power plug cable and an input power cable connected to an accessory power input plug.
In addition, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0100652, issued to T. G. Loyd in 2002 discloses a system for supplying power to a marine vessel that comprises at least one battery charger device, at least one battery and at least one retractable cord device. The battery charger is connected to the battery and adapted to transmit voltage to the battery. The retractable cord device is connected to the battery charger and is adapted to transmit voltage to the battery charger.
The more prevalent use of wire storage reels is for storing and dispensing electric power cords, some with automatic retraction mechanisms and some without. A brief list of U.S. Patents in the field of reels for storing and distributing electrically conducting cable includes: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,835,267, 3,837,448, 4,143,746, 4,244,536, 4,284,180, 4,721,833, 6,035,983, and 6,059,081.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a portable light reel system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention is a portable light reel system for storing, dispensing and illuminating EL wire. EL wire is an electronic component that can only be activated by a voltage driver. The brightness intensity level depends on the voltage and frequency applied to it. The higher the voltage and frequency, the brighter the EL wire illuminates. The present invention utilizes a DC to AC inverter designed to generate a certain voltage and frequency, optimized for a specific length of EL wire.
The system has a housing containing a rotatably mounted cylindrical hub around which the wire is wound. The cylindrical hub is hollow, waterproof, and is adapted to accommodate a battery and the DC to AC inverter. A switch disposed on the hub selectively connects the output of the inverter to the EL wire. An external power connector mounted on the hub is provided for recharging the battery and provides an alternate way of supplying power to the inverter.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a lightweight, low profile structure that contains a plastic light reel which holds EL wire and which contains a power supply for the EL wire, thereby providing a stand-alone and self-contained, portable light reel.
It is another object of the invention to provide a portable light reel, which can control the xe2x80x9con-offxe2x80x9d rate at which the EL wire is illuminated.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable light reel on which EL wire can be easily stored, unwound and rewound.
Another object of the invention is to provide a light reel that holds EL wire, which can be used for lighting when no ac mains power is available.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable light reel for EL wire that can be used emergency purposes, such as landing lights for helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft, marking crime scenes, firefighting and police operations.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.